Two Harvard researchers say a summer time birthday might imply a child is extra prone to catch the flu.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Your start month can have an effect on many features of your childhood, even for those who do not consider in astrology. Take individuals born in August.
EMILY GIPSON: My identify is Emily Gipson, and I really like the warmth. I really like the humidity.
SAERA SAED: My identify is Saera Saed, and as a child I didn’t like that my birthday was in August as a result of I hate summer time. I hate the warmth.
KATE BAUER: My identify is Kate Bauer. It was actually arduous to have birthday events as a result of everybody was out of city.
JOSHUA CURRY: My identify is Joshua Curry. My spouse’s birthday and my son’s birthday’s in August, so we usually have an enormous barbecue celebrating August birthdays.
A MARTĂŤNEZ, HOST:
Being born in August and sure different months has additionally been linked to catching the flu as a child. Christopher Worsham and Anupam Jena are each medical doctors and researchers at Harvard, they usually each have children born in August. Here is Worsham.
CHRISTOPHER WORSHAM: Children like ours born in the summertime – once they go in for his or her annual bodily, they cannot get their flu shot, so that they have to come back again for an additional appointment. One in all their dad and mom has to carry them in, take off work, take them out of college or daycare.
INSKEEP: A number of children go in for these annual checkups close to their birthdays, after all, and flu photographs are often not accessible till fall. So Worsham and Jena puzzled, do some children simply by no means get their flu photographs? And does that make it extra possible they will catch the flu?
ANUPAM JENA: We noticed roughly a 15 share level distinction within the probability {that a} August-born child versus a October-born child acquired the flu shot.
MARTĂŤNEZ: They found that by scouring knowledge from insurance coverage claims. And Jena says there’s really a easy repair – simply schedule that flu shot.
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